Clockwork Universe
by TerraZeal
Summary: Nozdormu has a conversation with Aeonus and Temporus regarding the Infinite Dragonflight and his plans. Infinite!Nozdormu.


_**Author's Note: **Nozdormu and a bronze dragon have a short conversation. Infinite!Nozdormu. Short fic, but I did Black Morass today and couldn't help but write a ficlet about my favorite boss in there. Semi-sequel to Out of Time._

_Clockwork Universe_

A large, silver-black dragon Aspect stood in front of a time portal, gazing at it penetratingly. Still, they fought. Still, they attempted to stop the inevitable. Foolish, foolish mortals. Nozdormu snorted, a gout of silvery lightning emitting from his nostrils.

The Infinite transformation came with new gifts...and this new breath weapon was among the most interesting. Normally, bronze dragons breathed time-altering sands. The silver lightning was exhilarating.

The others had noticed, and some were terrified, some had fled, to other timeways, to other flights, but some had stayed...stayed...and asked to learn. Learn about what he had become. These were the ones who would become the leaders of his new flight.

His Infinite Dragonflight. The ones who would embrace immortality, true immortality, rather than run from it. His own son had fled. Anachronos would pay with his life in the end.

They all would. Not that Nozdormu or any of his flight would kill them. They would simply die. Of time, of age...whereas the Infinites would not. He spread his silver-black wings wide and leapt into the air. One still-bronze dragon had wanted to speak with him. About this new power.

He wasn't about to keep a possible ally waiting. Although he really did have all the time in the universe. Nozdormu gave a dragon-grin at the thought and flew through the Caverns to meet with this bronze dragon. It was waiting patiently at the foot of the blackened hourglass in the center of the Caverns.

Nozdormu recognized the bronze dragon as Aeonus, formerly a staunch Keeper of Time. Perhaps the Keeper had realized that his path was the wrong path and was ready to fully give in to the Infinite power.

Nozdormu landed before the bronze dragon, folding his wings against his back and sitting on his haunches, waiting for the bronze to speak. After a bit, when it did not speak, Nozdormu had had enough.

"Aeonus. Speak or flee. Immortality or death...it is your choice. As with the others, I will not kill you. You will die to time, as will all who do not ally with the Infinite and embrace the power of immortality, the power to change the timeways..."

Aeonus cocked his great bronze head slightly, gazing up at his Infinite master. He lay down on the floor in front of the great black hourglass, prostrating himself before his...Master.

"Immortality. I come to ask for immortality. I will not flee. I will not be...a slave of the past. You are right, Great Aspect." Aeonus smiled, remembering a partial quote he'd heard from a human mage named Medivh. "The time has come to shatter this clockwork universe, Master."

Nozdormu couldn't agree more. He too grinned. Aeonus would be a powerful ally. He was a powerful bronze dragon, and as an Infinite, he would have even more powerful time-bending powers. "Clockwork universe...how right you are, Aeonus...too long have we been slaves to the hourglass."

Nozdormu turned rapidly, and with one swipe of his silvery tail, shattered the black hourglass. Aeonus and Nozdormu were hailed with glass and sand. Neither were harmed. The glass simply slid off the hard scales like water over rocks.

Aeonus gaped at the shattered hourglass. For thousands of years it had stood as a testament to their power as Guardians of Time. For so long the bronze dragon had thought the hourglass was important, was meant to signify something to them, their own existence, even. And now, Nozdormu had shattered it without even a strenuous gesture.

Aeonus realized what Nozdormu, and what the human said so long ago, was true. If he did not embrace the greater path...he would become a victim of its passing. A slave to the past no longer. He looked up at his Master.

"What would you have me do...Master?"

Nozdormu shook himself, ridding his scales of the sand and glass. "I would have you join me. A powerful ally you will make. As a former great Keeper of Time, your power surpasses that of others who have joined me. Embrace the change, Aeonus." Nozdormu had whispered this.

Something between pain and pleasure suddenly engulfed the bronze dragon. Aeonus felt his body twisting, horns and spikes growing where they hadn't been before, skin cracking and scales changing. Something akin to lightning streaked through his body, but did not shock him.

Nozdormu watched the transformation with some amusement. As with the other bronzes who had given themselves wholly to the Infinite flight, Aeonus was the first true dragon to do so. The others had been young, scared drakes. It would be...interesting...to see how Aeonus turned out.

As the silver-black lightning continued to arc through Aeonus's body, Nozdormu lay down, head on his forepaws, and watched the show.

Finally, it was over. Aeonus stood up. Nozdormu was impressed. The first Infinite dragon besides himself...and he didn't count himself, because he was an Aspect. Aeonus had turned out wonderful.

"You will do perfectly. You will tell no one. No one must know who...what...I am, yet. The time will come when all will be revealed, but it is not so soon."

The new Infinite dragon, still a bit on the shaky side, nodded. "What will you have me do now, Master?"

Nozdormu flicked his tail irritably. Could none of these creatures think for themselves? "Learn to use your powers. Learn to traverse the timeways. Then...come back to me when you have learned all you can. I have a very important job for you."

Aeonus bowed his silver-black head and headed toward one of the time portals. He did not care which one. He was merely testing his new powers so he would be at full strength when the Master called on him for the special task he had planned for Aeonus.

Nozdormu watched Aeonus head for a timeway, not really caring which one it was. The dragon wouldn't be able to do much, as newly transformed as he was. When he came back, Nozdormu would have a task for him. A task that would mean life or death for the Aspect of Infinity.

An Infinite drake approached. Nozdormu recognized him as Temporus. "Temporus. What would you ask of me? I don't have all day." Both of them smiled inwardly at the joke. Of course they had all day. They had all the time in the world.

"Master...Aeonus...the first true dragon to take the step into immortality. This means so much to our flight! If only we could convince other true dragons!"

Nozdormu cut Temporus off. "In due time, Temporus. In due time. We have all the time in the world. You know well that Aeonus is far more powerful than you, and he has only just embraced the path of the Infinite."

Temporus nodded. "That is what excites me so, Master. Imagine the possibilities..."

"I know of all the possibilities, in case you have forgotten who I am."

The drake shook his head violently. "Never, Master, never! We will triumph."

The Infinite Aspect looked at a nearby timeway, not the one Aeonus had entered to master his powers. He turned to Temporus. "When Aeonus has returned, you will follow him into that timeway. You will do all in your power to stop Medivh from opening the Dark Portal. From allowing the orcs entry into Azeroth."

Temporus bowed again. "As you will, Master. The sands of time have run out for any who stand in our way."

Nozdormu nodded, smiling, revealing his metallic silver teeth. "Yes. We will. As Aeonus said...the time has come to shatter this clockwork universe...forever."


End file.
